[Guide] Installing AMD Radeon Mobility 6970 / 6990 in your M17x R2 (Single GPU and CrossfireX)

a quick question: I am ready to buy two of these cards to replace my dual 5870 crossfire in my m17x r2.
NEW AMD RADEON HD6990M (BlackcombXTX); MXM 3.0b; 2GB GDDR5; CrossfireX Ready | eBay
are they compatible with my laptop and crossfire setup??

 

yeh they are the cards you want

 

Yes they are compatible, all you have to do is to flash them with clevo v-bios, send a PM to anyone with 6990m in R2 and i am sure they will provide you proper one.

Welcome to the Jungle

 

LOL yeah I got upgraded to premium for a long haul flight of 14 hours and I had to remove my battery and disable crossfire so the socket would not trip

This was even when the laptop was unmodded, so no extreme processor, only 2 drives and 5870's.

Wouldn't stand a chance of working now!

So furious

Just got a customs fee to pay on the crossfire cable. Which is understandable considering it came from abroad.

But they are charging me £33.53 (which includes the £8 handling fee).

The cable only cost 25 USD which comes to around £16. Does this mean I am paying ~75% import tax?!?!!

What makes it worse is that you can't even contest it, you pretty much have to pay it or dont collect it...

Maybe Mythologic put down that it was worth more then 25USD?? Who knows. pretty steamed though.

/end rant

 

That sucks in Australia you don't pay import tax unless it worth more then $1000
so is this crossfire cable for the m17x? I didnt think mythologic sold alienware stuff
I just bought a m18x crossfire cable from parts people the other day as i broke the clip on my old one, apparently it will fit will update when i get it.

 

Yeah, never had an issue in Aus either.....

It is a crossfire cable that apparantly better fits the M17xR2 with the 6990's. I bought it as more of an experiment to see if it fixes the flickering problems that I sometimes get.

Expensive experiment now....

 

ok thank you! one last question before I buy them: will I have any problems with the gfx coolers? or they will start automaticly when they get hot? also will I have hdmi audio output with these cards? this is important for me.
do you know if the original m17x r2 PSU will handle those gfx cards or I must get the PSU from m18x? (I have the i7 920xm cpu and Im using throttlestop use all its processing power )

 

Ouch Douse..Even if they put down $25USD...shouldn't the tax have been less? I know I've mailed stuff to the UK and I don't think it was that high? Maybe Mythlogic put down some minimum like $200USD or something?

Either way...that sucks...sorry to hear that. Here in the US we don't pay any fees like that.

Couple of things before you buy them (if you haven't already). You may want to ask if they include soldered on posts or the x-bracket to attach them. You can cut your existing bracket on the 5870s to make them fit better (I know some folks here posted some instructions on how to do this). But if you don't want to, I'd ask them about it.

Also, make sure if they do include the bracket or posts that you ask them to INCLUDE THE SCREWS (very important...you'll thank me later).

And finally be sure to ask for the crossfire cable for the Eurocom Panther 2.0 (or tell them you are using it for an alienware) and they should include the crossfire cable at no cost.

Otherwise the only problem you'll have with the cards is NO AUDIO over HDMI. You won't have fan problems, but you will not have any Audio.

 

Thanks Greywolf, hopefully it is all worth it

Yeah the only thing that makes sense would be either they didn't put any price and the UK customs 'estimated' or Mythlogic put something really big down

 

thanks for the information the lack of hdmi audio is a problem for me because I use it alot and I will have to connect extra audio cable from the soundcard audio output to the HDTV. do you know if this can be fixed with another VBIOS flash? also if I keep my current crossfire cable from 5870's isnt combatible with these cards?
and last I see some folks here have upgraded their psu. Is it necessary to do it also when I install the 6990s?

 

An upgrade of the PSU isn't necessary...especially if you undervolt the cards a bit. Also as long as you don't overclock it's shouldn't be an issue.

The problem with the Clevo/Eurocom cards (the ones upgradeyourlaptop sells) is the audio over HDMI, and we don't know when or even if it can be fixed.

The Dell cards don't have Audio problems, but DO have the fan issues (so have to be manually controlled using HWInfo)

So it's a choice...either you go with no Audio, or you go with manual fan control...unfortunately at this time there isn't a solution for both of this with their given cards types. Maybe at some point there will be, but unfortunately not yet.

Regarding your crossfire cable..it "should" work. However a number of us had problems with the 4870/5870 crossfire cables not communicating properly between the cards (myself included), so I HIGHLY recommend getting the Eurocom crossfire cable (or a crossfire cable from an M18X), just to be safe.

Good luck with whatever option you choose, and welcome to the club

 

so as I see the best option for me is the clevo/eurocom gfx cards because I also have a hackintosh installed and I dont know if the fan control will work under this OS. I also want to ask you, if I remove only one 5870m (from the secondary slot) and add there one 6990m. will they work together with crossfire and will I have the HDMI audio output from the 5870m??
is it true that one 6990m performs like 2x5870 in crossfire???

 

Can someone explain the deal with needing the posts? I bought exactly the link he's looking at and I didn't ask for posts. Also, someone mentioned that you should use the Clevo bios? What's wrong with the BIOS that came on the cards? The bios Dan gave me when I bought my cards was the exact same bios that came on the cards. Explanation?

 

Hey Intense,

Reference this thread that I made a little while back:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/8254308-post3734.html

The key in the ad is this:

"Picture represents the actual card. Sale does not include heatsink and is for the Video card only. No drivers can be provided. If other parts are required, please enquire. This sale is for a card without posts. You will use your current spreader and screws to attach the card to the unit."

Don't think anyone has tried this yet. I know that you CAN crossfire a 6970 and 6990 (aarpcard I believe is doing this), but I don't think anyone has tried to crossfire a 5870 with a 6970/90.

I believe a single 6990m performs close to a crossfire 5870 setup, although I think a 5870 crossfire performance is still a bit better.

Although I haven't benched either, so I'm sure someone else here can chime in on that piece.

 

I'm nearly 100% sure CFX with a 69XX and a 5870 won't work. Main reason is because of this:

http://sites.amd.com/PublishingImages/Public/Graphic_Illustrations/WebBannerJPEG/AMD_CrossfireX_Chart_1618W.jpg

Simply put, the cores aren't the same. You can't crossfire Juniper and Barts, but you can CFX a Barts and a Barts or a Juniper and a Juniper even if they aren't the same model.

I do have 6990+6970 CFX, but xeroxide did it first before me.

 

YAY, after a month finally got my laptop back today.. AND IT WORKS. Dual 6990's.

Seems my cores are at 42C when not gaming... is that ok?

Also, how do I actually monitor the temps (i mean how do i set up the programs... is there a thread on how to configure the programs that monitor temps?)

My question arises from this example... lets say i am playing BF3. How do i see the temp if the program is minimized? Do I have to Alt-TAB every 5 minutes to check? or is there a way to set the program to pop up if temps reach a certain threshold?

Anyways, thanks again to grey and everybody.. and i am glad to be back in the game

 

Hi Ricard!

Fantastic news!! 42C is very very good for your cards.

There is a logging feature in both HWinfo64 or GPU-z that will log the temps to a file that you can check after you have finished some gaming.

Also in GPU-Z if you leave it running in the background you can adjust the measurements to see what the minimum, maximum and current temps are reading.

I do a combination of checking the maximum with GPU-Z and enabling logging to monitor them over a period of time gaming.

 

my primary 6970 is at 45 C (second at 36 C) when no gaming. So yes its ok.

 

wow, i just noticed, if i plug a secondary monitor via HDMI, the temp skyrockets to 63C. Guess I have to say goodbye to multiple monitors

 

I was just about to say that your temps will be low if you have no external monitors plugged in.

The reason for this is that the clocks increase to 250/900 and also there is a slight voltage increase from 2D clocks when you plug in a second screen.

This isn't a reason to not have dual monitors, just means the primary runs a little warmer at idle. No biggy!! 63C is well and truly fine for a video card!

As to your question, I run monitoring apps on my second screen when gaming. But if you dont use a secondary screen, I would follow Greywolf's advice.

 

sweeet, i nsut played about 45 minutes of swtor and got about 70C on both cards... now i am going to try BF3... lets see those cards do their thing

Just did 30 minutes of online BF3 in Metro Map, and was pulling 69C max on both cards... think I am holding allright

 

Nice! Congrats on those temps

Give BF3 a good couple of hours I reckon on an 'out in the open' sorta map.

 

Its such a hard choice. Buy the 6990ms now or wait until April or may and buy the 28nm gpus. Decisions decisions. Plus if I buy now the prices of the 6000 series will drop. But the waiting is killing me

 

found a great utility to monitor my gpu temps while playing (without using a second monitor)... LCDSirReal

I have a G-13 Gaming Pad...... and this nsi proving to be an awesome app for it

NMANFRED.

That si always the tricky question... wait, or go for it now.

Now (and pleas someone correct me if i am wrong), the recent GPUs have had such demanding power rrequirements that perhaps the next one wont run on our m17xR2's.. For example, the 6990s sometimes need to be undervolt, and i think that for the nvidia 580m you need an uber PSU... So there is a point where jsut slaping a new card into our machine might be... err... unpractical.

Just food for thought

 

Ok so, in your place i would wait.
Mainly becouse 5870m CF/OC is more than enough for now without MSAA and AF sw-on.
I had single 5870m and this was not enough, for almost every modern dx11 game. Um....it was decent, but i wanted everything on max ...just to enjoy visual effects. This is why i bought single 6970m.
If i would had 2x5870m then i would wait for 7xxx/6xx series cards.

@ricard2798
VERY practical my friend
7xxx/6xx series cards will have similar power consumption due to 28nm production process, and power wise still maximum of 100Watt for high-end models.

7xxx/6xx series cards should fit nicely into our R2's.
I think i will buy single 7970m or 675/80mGTX and i will OC it just to avoid CF and SLI issues, not to mention throttling.

But IF 28nm will be very eco friendly, and combination of undervolting in CF/SLI will allow to run XM CPU's 25@4 cores - without throttling....well.....M18x r2 and m17x r4 - FEAR US

MUAHAHA

 

I would be extremely surprised if the M17x R2 will work with the new cards after the 6900m's

 

Makes me wonder if Ichime will be doing a test with the new 7000 series cards when they come out.

Or some other brave soul

 

By the time those cards are out, you are REALLY stretching the lifespan of the M17x R2 out haha

The R3 has been out about a year now, the R2 about 2.2 years, the R1 is a dinosaur (about 2.7 years)!

 

You guys are PURE EVIL... i am ehre, jsut got my 6990s, it all tis glory, king of the world.... jsut so you guys can start taking about 7000's

EVIL EVIL

 

But yet the R2 is far from being disposed off. With actual upgrade it can easily last other 2 years. For that time something really powerfull will be on the market to justify the upgrade, at least that's for me

Inviato dal mio GT-N7000 usando Tapatalk

 

I agree with Cpt on this one. I figure if I can get another 2 years of life out of mine then it'll be time to do a completely new alienware.

By then the processors will be faster, news video cards, etc.

 

I'm actually going to be extremely surprised if they don't work with the R2.

Assuming they follow the MXM standard the last 3 generations of mobile gpu's did, then the 7000 series will work fine.

If they are a good upgrade over the 6000 series, I'll probably buy a pair even to do testing if no one else does.

But I'd want to see at least Desktop 6970 performance out of a single 7970m before I jump for a pair.

So what? I don't want to buy a $2500 laptop every 8 months. I'd rather drop $600-$800 on new video cards every year or every other year and maintain my top notch performance in my original laptop purchase. I got my R2 a year and a half ago with 4870x2 gpu configuration. I spent $700 on my 6990+6970 CFX configuration i have now. I felt I was forced to upgrade because the 4870X2 wasn't cutting it at all anymore. If my laptop wasn't upgradable, I would have had to spend $2800+ for a M18x instead of only $700 on new gpu's.

The 920xm and 940xm when OC'ed with throttlestop perform better than a desktop i5 2500K. That's plenty for gaming now and will continue to be fine for at least 2 more years judging from past history. All you gotta worry about is the gpu - through which the R2 has been compatible with 3 generations worth. Judging from that history as long as the MXM interface doesn't change, future generations of gpu's should be compatible too.

 

RGBLED is TIMELESS!!

 

Yeah. I'm guessing mxm3b will be the standard for quite some time. And if and follows last years trend then the 7990m will be equivilant to the 7870 desktop. And the 7870 desktop should be faster than the 6970 desktop. So lets hope that there is a big performance leap. I have a 7970 desktop card and Amd honestly did a really good job with graphics core next and the 28nm. So lets hope they do an equally good job with the mobile series.

 

I was only saying I doubt there will be support as support usually extends only one generation past the shipping options. The R1 has only worked with 5870s (afaik no working 6970m's yet?) and the R2 is working with the 6900 cards.

Do not get me wrong, I fully believe that MXM should be wide open just like PCIe is on the desktop. If it is the right slot it should run. Greedy companies keep us from that dream though

 

I'm pretty sure this is because no one has tried the 69XX cards in the R1 (or extensively tested them). Might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's the case.

I have a hunch the 6900 series will work in the R1 as well. Might not be straight forward - might have to do a runaround like the 5870's, but I would not be surprised if it worked.

 

I am pretty sure GTX 460m were tried in the R1 but did not work

 

regardless if 79xx crads will work, will the current power supply be enough to hold cf? i believe this is the main problem

 

I guess it depends on whether the new cards draw the same or more power. More power may be a concern unless there are developments with the PSU

I would like to think they would be more efficient!!

For the time being the 6990s should be more than enough for at least a year. I hope!

 

well its difficult to find a game that lags on maximum settings using the 6970s. Only crysis 2 lags but the reason for this is another story and not due to lack of power.

 

It does, no SLi though due to the same SLi certification story
The 560M works too but not with the internal screen..

Also, for the 6xxx series, nobody gave a report :/

 

Maybe a kind offtopic Question but did anyone who bought cards @ upgradeyoure laptop on ebay had to pay for custom fees ?
If yes how many ? i kinda paid 860$ for the cards..

 

Most of the people are getting charged, but ebay seller tries to minimise those costs by putting a value at 50USD or so on the customs form.

 

Those doing these upgrades should join the Folding@home team! I'm folding with my 940XM and 6990s. Also don't forget to vote for our F@h thread in the Amazing Content contest. It's linked in my sig. Truthfully though I think this guide should have made the contest. Maybe in the next contest. We can reformat the OP and it will make it. PLEASE VOTE!

 

DR650, I would love to join but I don't know if I feel comfortable with my system running overclocked and unattended!!!!

If I could easily clock the cards down then I would be in for sure, but it is a hassle flashing them!

How GPU intensive it is?

Agreed that this thread should have made it in to the comp!

 

It's not too bad. I run at 1.0v, and stock clocks and my temps hit 70°C tops on the GPUs and 80°C tops on the CPU. I don't overclocks because for one I don't have PSUs, but since I have no warranty with the cards, I tend to baby them

 

Baby, Shmaby

I will install and see how they go. May be good to really give my machine something to chew on

 

Definately. Always good to know your system is putting all it's power to use

 

Hi guys!
Somebody had experience to buy a card 6990 in RJTECH.COM? Whether it Will work in R2?

 

Hey guys, I'll experiment with a 7000 when they become available if benchmarks put it far ahead of the 6000 series.

Aside from that, I've been trying to play Crysis 2 for the past few days but my fps goes through a wave pattern.
8fps-19fps-29fps-39fps-49fps-60fps (smoothhhhhhhhh)-8fps-19fps....
Seems like throttling but really organised lol.
Anyone experienced that in the past?
Cheers.